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by sinnamon_nerd



Series: Fate Decrees [3]
Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5
Genre: Gen, Sibling AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 16:00:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13593522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinnamon_nerd/pseuds/sinnamon_nerd
Summary: Kou reads the letter left for him at the orphanage. It's from his big brother whom he used to admire so much.





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For little Kou, Big Bro was simply the coolest. He tried to emulate him while he was in school but often failed. Big Bro was somehow managed to be calm and collected all the time. He was always so kind and understanding; always willing to lend his toys and play with him. Everyday, he would pick up him and Nao-chan from school and would always walk behind them to make sure they were safe. Whenever Kou tried the same, he found himself getting too emotional too quickly; and he didn’t really want to share his toys with the other kids.

When Mama left them, Kou cried a lot for the first couple of days. However Big Bro was always there to comfort him. He always, _always_ , said that everything would be all right, that Mama would come back for them the moment she could, that for now they had to bear with it so Mama could come back sooner, that they had to be good for Mama.

Kou envied Big Bro then. He wished he could be just as strong, as understanding. Maybe Kou was just selfish, maybe he was a bad child and that was why Mama left him at the orphanage. But then… why would she leave Big Bro and Nao-chan there too? They were definitely better people than he was…

Maybe Big Bro was right.

Maybe all he had to do was be a good boy.

And then, one day, Nao-chan got adopted. Kou wanted to stop it but Big Bro assured him it was fine, that it would be for the best because someone will look after Nao-chan and that would mean she would be in good health for when Mama came back.

Kou relented in his attempt to stop the adoption, instead wanting to get adopted himself so Mama could be proud of how much he had grown when they meet again.

And so, he did.

Kou didn’t quite know what to feel when he got adopted. On one hand, he was happy someone would finally take care of him; but on the other hand, he didn’t want to leave big bro all alone.  He’d been keeping to himself the whole time and, if not for him and Nao-chan, he wouldn’t even play with the other kids. Even more so, he always ate the least out of the three of them, often saying he wasn’t hungry and then splitting his food for them, when he used to eat the most.

Still, there was nothing he could do.

And so, he left with his new parents.

 

_February 3, 2010_

_Dear Kou,_

_It’s me, your big brother. You probably don’t remember me, so I’ll introduce myself properly. My name is Minato Arisato, or, in our case, Minato Kitagawa, the eldest son of Miina and Takeshi Kitagawa. I am followed by my siblings, you, Naoto, and Yusuke. The three of us used to be so close, you know? You used to chase after me while I biked around the park, we always helped Naoto with her puzzles, and the three of us always role-played different characters while we played. Yusuke was too young to play with us, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t try to play with him. You, me and Naoto were left at the orphanage after our father died because our mother couldn’t handle taking care of four children all on her own. At the orphanage, we had to get adopted sooner or later. I was the last, if you don’t recall. I got adopted by our aunt when she came with news that our mother died of illness. I was devastated. All that time, I had been waiting for her, making myself as uninteresting as possible so she could have someone to come back to, only for it to be all for naught._

_I’m writing to you now after all this time, because I feel as though I don’t have much time left myself. Lately, I feel the deterioration of my body and I don’t think any hospital could possibly have the cure for my condition, so I’ll just let it be. Moreover, I want there to be something for you and Naoto (though I am going to write her a separate letter) in case you ever come looking. Did you know? Our parents called you ‘Kou’ because they wanted you to be healthy, unlike them. How they didn’t think of this while naming me is beyond me, but I think it suits you anyway. I wish we could have spent some more time together. I wanted to see you grow, to play with you more, to see if you could ever catch up with me when I ride my bike, to tease you about the girl you like… All I can give you now is the family name of the couple who adopted Naoto. Shirogane. I hope you two can reunite someday and maybe even find Yusuke. I’ve also included a drawing of what I think you’ve grown up to be. I’m probably completely wrong though, but it was an attempt._

_Always know that I never stopped loving and longing for you guys._

_Your big brother,_

_Minato._

Kou was shaking as he held the letter in his hands, tears streaming down his face. He was in his room at the hotel they were staying at for their field trip. Daisuke and Yu sat on either side of him, comforting him as he sobbed. It took him a while to stop. Tears stained the letter until one of his friends took it away to preserve it. He buried his head in his palms when the paper was gone, overcome with deep yearning for the older brother he never got to know. Memories came back as he cried, memories of his admiration towards his cool older brother.

The letter was selfish, he decided, having been written during a time when his brother was ailing and refused to seek help. He was made aware of the existence of his brother only to have that stripped away from him. So many feelings, both physical and emotional, were going through his body – he could barely breathe with how tight his chest was, his head was spinning, his heart was aching, he was sad, he was heartbroken, and yet he was happy. Happy to have received the letter, happy to have a lead on his sister and younger brother.

When he stopped crying, he out a piece of paper from the envelope. It was the drawing that was mentioned in the letter. In it, Kou’s hair was slightly slicked back, with a few locks of his bangs falling to his face. He was drawn tall, his hands on his waist, wearing a blue, button-up long-sleeved shirt and beige pants.

Well, if there was one thing his brother got right, it was the facial features. From his eyes, to his nose, to his grinning mouth, everything was drawn perfectly.

Kou dried his eyes, overcome with determination.

“Guys, I’m going to look for my older brother.”

 

The search didn’t take him long. They were given free time after classes the next day and Kou spent it looking around the area. He found his brother’s grave behind the local shrine. It had a tombstone like all the rest as well as fresh flowers placed upon it. He guessed that his big brother must have made some good friends in his lifetime if he still got visitors two years after his death.

Kou knelt down in front of the grave and smiled sombrely as he spoke. “Hey, Big Bro. It’s me, Kou. I got your letter. You’re an idiot, you know that?” He felt the tears coming then, not making an effort to stop them. “Writing letters like that… Sheesh… What if we never got ‘em? And your drawing was all wrong, what’s up with that? You call yourself an older brother?” Kou was silent for a moment as if waiting for a response. “Well, here I am. Healthy as a horse. Looks like our parents wish came true, huh? I’m a little lost about who I’m ought to be at the moment, but I think I’m getting there. My friends are helping me; I wish you could have met them. I wish I could’ve gotten to know you better, too. I wish we could have spent some time together. I wish I remembered you before the letter!”

He was a complete mess now – nose runny, eyes watering, chest heaving as he rubbed ceaselessly at his eyes. When he stopped, his pants were tear-stained and his hands covered in mucus. He took put a handkerchief from his pocket as he stood, wiping his face and then his hands on it.

And then, as he was about to leave, he crossed paths with someone who looked a lot like him.


End file.
